Dark skies — 22 best places in the world to stargaze

As the new series of “Cosmos” (only available to Fox viewers in the United States) seeks to unveil the wonders of the universe, you might be inspired to seek out these astronomical spectacles for yourself.

Thankfully, there’s a ready-made list of places that offer the best chances to spot meteors, see stars and ponder constellations.

The International Dark Sky Association (IDA) recently added two places to its certified list (a Dark Sky Reserve in Germany and a Dark Sky Park in the United States), taking the number of officially recognized star-gazing spots around the world to 22.

The IDA is a non-profit organization fighting against light pollution to preserve the quality of the night sky.

“Misdirected and excessive lighting are the main cause of sky glow and light pollution,” says Chip Harrison, park manager for Cherry Springs State Park in Pennsylvania, one of the IDA’s certified Dark Sky Parks.

Surprisingly, the darkest night skies aren’t all in remote areas. One of the IDA’s aims is for reserves and parks to be accessible.

“Dark Sky Parks and Dark Sky Reserves are some of the best places on Earth to experience truly dark night skies because they are both dark and, more importantly, accessible,” says Dr. John Barentine, Dark Sky Places program manager at IDA.

“Many are already well-visited national and local parks, which means that by designating them, we have the best chance of bringing as many people as possible into contact with the alternately awesome and endangered resource of dark night skies.”